MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:
A Series Situation
The Brewers are looking for a series win this afternoon…..the team is 5-0-1 over its last 6 series, going 2-1 at CLE, 3-1 at NYM, 2-1 at PIT, 2-2 vs. CHC, 2-1 vs. CIN and 3-0 at CIN.
Fine ‘Penmanship
Brewers relievers have tossed 19.2 consecutive scoreless innings over the last 6 games with opponents batting just .125 (8-for-64, 2bb, 30k).
Devin Sent
All-Star closer Devin Williams, who is unscored upon in 35 of his 38 appearances this season, is among NL relief leaders in saves (3rd, 24), ERA (3rd, 1.69), AVG (4th, .147), H/9IP (4th, 4.58) and save pct. (5th, 92.3)….. his ERA without his 2 blown saves is 0.25 (36.1ip, 1er).
A Piece of the Payamps
Joel Payamps, who was acquired from Oakland as part of a three-team trade in December, ranks among NL relief leaders in holds (2nd, 20), WHIP (3rd, 0.90), ERA (4th, 1.79) and appearances (T9th, 43)…..he has not allowed an earned run over his last 15 appearances (16ip).
The King
Elvis Peguero, who was acquired from the Angels in the Hunter Renfroe trade in November, is unscored upon in 30 of his 36 appearances this season with a 2.84 ERA and holding opponents to a .206 AVG…..his 14 holds are tied for seventh in the NL.
It’s Milner Time!
Hoby Milner has posted a 0.43 ERA in his last 23 appearances (21ip, 1er) and is unscored upon in his last 4 outings (6.1ip)…..Milner leads the team with 44 appearances (T5th in NL).
Rebel Yeli
In his last 35 games, Christian Yelich has hit .331 (46-for-139) with 29 runs, 6 HR and 26 RBI while producing a .411 OBP/.590 SLG/1.001 OPS.
Don’t Mess With Bill
William Contreras in his last 12 games is batting .412 (21-for-51) with 2 HR and 9 RBI while he has produced a .436 OBP/.627 SLG/1.064 OPS.
TODAY’S GAME: Is game 6 (4-1) of a 6-game, 7-day road trip to Cincinnati (3-0) and Philadelphia (1-1) to open the second half of the season…..following this trip, the team returns to American Family Field for a 6-game homestand against Atlanta (3g) and Cincinnati (3g).
IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: INF/OF Brian Anderson (lower back), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), LHP Wade Miley (left elbow), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), 1B Darin Ruf (right knee), LHP Bennett Sousa (left shoulder), 1B Rowdy Tellez (right forearm/left ring finger), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Ashby, Mitchell, Ruf, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day IL.
IN THE STANDINGS (112 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 63, SECOND: 47, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in first place, leading the second-place Reds by 2.5 games.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 16-13-1 in series play.
Game 1: 15-16, Game 2: 18-13, Game 3: 16-13, Game 4: 4-1
Sweep Wins (5): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14), vs. PIT (3g, 6/16-6/18), at CIN (3g, 7/14-7/16)
Sweep Losses (3): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4), vs. OAK (3g, 6/9-6/11), at MIN (2g, 6/13-6/14)
AT HOME: The Brewers are 26-21 at home, going 8-6-1 in series play…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 27-22 on the road, going 8-7-0 in series play…..are 11-4 in their last 15 road games…..from 7/1-7/16 had a season-high 5-game road winning streak…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made 20 replay challenges this season, going 7-13…..their last challenge (lost) came on 7/8 vs. Cincinnati as an out call at second base (William Contreras) to end the game stood.
TODAY’S STARTER: #39 – RHP CORBIN BURNES (19gs, 8-5, 3.73)
BURNES AT A GLANCE: Corbin Burnes, 28, will be making his 20th start…..he last started last Friday at Cincinnati and earned a 1-0 win (6ip, 2h, 2bb, 13k, 1wp, 102 pitches)…..he recorded his first double-digit strikeout game of the season and 22nd of his career, extending a franchise record…..the team is 11-8 in his starts…..he has 12 quality starts…..opponents are batting .205 (85-for-414, 14hr)…..he has won his last 3 starts, posting a 1.89 ERA (19ip, 4er)…..Burnes was selected by Milwaukee in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Mary’s (CA) College…..he is under club control through 2024.
TRIFECTA!: Burnes is the fifth player in franchise history to make three straight All-Star Games, joining Ryan Braun (5), Josh Hader (4), Dan Plesac (3) and Don Money (3).
LAST SEASON: Burnes went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 33 starts, finishing seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting after winning the award in 2021…..he was an All-Star for the second straight season and was Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher for the second year in a row…..his career-high 243 strikeouts led the National League and ranked second in MLB behind the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (257)…..he was the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in strikeouts.
CY BURNES: Burnes won the 2021 National League Cy Young Award after going 11-5 with a Major League-best 2.43 ERA in 28 starts…..he became the third pitcher in franchise history to win a Cy Young Award, joining Rollie Fingers (1981) and Pete Vuckovich (1982)…..he became the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in ERA.
CAREER: Is 43-24 with a 3.31 ERA in 154 games/93 starts (629ip, 231er)…..is in his sixth Major League season, all with the Brewers (2018-23)…..is 35-21 with a 3.09 ERA as a starter (547ip, 188er) and 8-3 with a 4.72 ERA in relief (82ip, 43er)…..Burnes is a three-time All-Star (2021-23) and was a 2021 All-MLB First Team selection.
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 21-14 with a 3.57 ERA in 75 games/48 starts (325ip, 129er)…..is 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 9 starts this season (52.1ip, 24er).
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 22-10 with a 3.02 ERA in 79 games/45 starts (304ip, 102er)…..is 4-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 10 starts this season (61ip, 23er).
CAREER vs. PHILLIES: Is 0-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 3 games/1 start (8.1ip, 1er)…..his only start against the Phillies came an 8-3 loss last season on 6/9 at American Family Field (4.1ip, 3h, 3r, 1er, 4bb, 8k, 1wp)…..his other 2 outings came in relief in 2019.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES NOTES:
GAME #95 RECAP: The Phillies fell to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3, at CBP in South Philly … Starter Cristopher Sanchez (ND) went 5.0 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 ER) on 6 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts … Nick Castellanos homered for the Phils and Kyle Schwarber had 2 RBI … The Phillies mounted another rally in the 9th but fell short as the series was evened at 1-1.
REMEMBER THE FIGHTINS: The Phillies opened this season on the road and went 1-5 in six games through TEX (0-3) and NYY (1-2) … Since then (4/7-current), they are 51-38 with a .573 winning percentage and are tied for the 2nd-best record in the National League (with ARI) and tied for the 5th-best record in all of baseball, behind only ATL (.632), BAL (.618), TEX (.593) and TB (.581) … Since June 3, they have gone 27-11 and their .711 winning percentage in that span ranks 2nd in MLB behind only ATL (28-9, .757).
UNDER THE SUN IN SOUTH PHILLY: The Phillies enter today’s game 15-6 in day games at Citizens Bank Park this season (.714 win %) with a +33 run differential (109-76) … Offensively, the Phillies have posted a .783 OPS during the day at home while averaging 5.2 runs per game … On the mound, Phils’ pitching has combined to post a 3.17 ERA at home during the day (69 ER, 196.0 IP) … Overall this year, the Phillies are 26-17 during the day and their .605 winning percentage ranks 5th in MLB behind ATL & NYY (.667), TEX (.650) and TB (.609).
BBCIB: Today, Garrett Stubbs gets the start behind the plate which will be his 15th start this season … The Phillies are 10-4 in Stubbs’ 14 starts this season (.714 win%) and have won each of his last five (since 6/11) and seven out of his last eight (since 5/13) … Stubbs’ 1.87 second pop time to second base ranks in the 97th percentile among MLB catchers and among catchers who have attempted at least five throws to second base, Stubbs’ pop time ranks 3rd behind only teammate J.T. Realmuto who leads MLB at 1.81 seconds and SF’s Patrick Bailey at 1.86 seconds.
ELIAS SAYS: Last night, Nick Castellanos homered in his 5,00th career major league at bat and became the first Phillies player to do so since Jim Thome in 2003 … Over the last 10 seasons, Castellanos is one of six major league players to do so: Mike Trout (2022), Nolan Arenado (2022), Carlos Santana (2019), Melky Cabrera (2015) and Nick Swisher (2014).
ARMS RACE: Over the last 38 games (since 6/3), the Phillies’ starting rotation has gone 17-7 with a 2.97 ERA (74 ER, 224.1 IP) with 223 strikeouts to 56 walks (3.98 SO/BB ratio) – they have faced 902 batters and held them to a .639 OPS … The staff has gone at least 6.0 innings in 25 of those 38 games (20-5 team record) … Philadelphia’s starters and relievers have combined for 14.0 fWAR which leads MLB (next: MIN, 13.6) and is more than two full wins clear of the next closest NL club (MIA, 11.4 fWAR).
ON THE PLUS SIDE: The Phillies currently have six players who qualify for the batting title who sport an OPS+ of 105 or greater (league average is 100): Brandon Marsh (124 OPS+), Nick Castellanos (120), Bryson Stott (112), Alec Bohm (107), J.T. Realmuto (107) and Kyle Schwarber (106) – Bryce Harper leads the Phillies with a 126 OPS+, but with 269 plate appearances, does not yet qualify … Philadelphia’s six different players with an OPS+ of 105 or greater is tied for tops among all MLB clubs with TEX, ATL and SD (also 6) … Philadelphia’s six players with an OPS+ of 105 or better would be the second best mark in franchise history, behind only the 1892 club who had seven players: Roger Connor (166 OPS+), Ed Delahanty (157), Billy Hamilton (152), Sam Thompson (144), Jack Clements (127), Bill Hallman (116) and Lave Cross (108).
THE VIBES ARE BACK: This season, the Phillies were seven games under .500 at 25-32 (.439 win %) when they entered play on June 3, which was also the one-year anniversary of Rob Thomson’s first game as Phillies manager … Since then, they have gone 27-11 (.711 win %) with a +57-run differential (196-139) and enter today nine games over .500 at 52-43 … When Thomson took over last year on June 3, the Phillies were also seven games under .500 at 22-29 (.431 win %), and in their first 38 games with him as manager (6/3-7/13/22), they went 24-14 (.632 win %) with a +46-run differential (185-139) … Since Thomson was hired on June 3, 2022, the Phillies are 117-89 and their .568 winning percentage ranks 5th in MLB, behind only ATL (.672), LAD (.641), HOU (.609) and BAL (.583).
FOURMULA FOR SUCCESS: When scoring at least four runs, the Phillies have won six straight (since 7/5), 15 of 16 (since 6/13) and 20 of 22 (since 6/3) … Overall this year, the Phillies are 39-12 when they score at least four (.765 win %) and 13-31 when held to three or fewer (.295 win %).
TODAY’S STARTER – TAIJUAN WALKER • RHP #99
2023: 11-3, 4.00 ERA Career: 65-53, 3.90 ERA
LAST START: 7/15 vs SD: W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO … Walker vs Weathers … In Game 2, the Phillies won 9-4 … Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper both homered and Johan Rojas went 3-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI … It marked the first doubleheader sweep for the Phillies since 6/17/22 at WSH and the first in Philadelphia since 9/18/20 vs TOR.
TODAY’S START:
- Pitch Usage: Splitter (35.8%), Sinker (24.2%), 4-Seam (17.6%), Cutter (14.7%), Sweeper (4.3%), Curveball (3.4%).
- Remember This: Walker is 0.2 innings away from 1,000.0 innings pitched. He also is 6 strikeouts shy of 900 for his career.
- Celebrate: Walker is the 9th Phillie in the modern era (since 1901) to win at least 7 straight starts in a single season and the 1st since Cliff Lee from 7/30-9/5/11 … His 7-game winning streak is a new career high … The last Phillies hurler to win 8 straight decisions was Steve Carlton from 7/19-8/17/72.
- That’s Just the Way We Roll: Walker is the 1st Phillies starter to reach 11 wins this season, a mark tied with 4 others for 1st in MLB. He has recorded double-digit victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career. Walker has gone 5-0 at CBP to start the year and is the 1st starter since Zack Wheeler 2020-21) to begin ones Phillies career without a loss in their first 8+ starts at home; Wheeler was 7-0 through his first 13 starts at home for the Phillies.
- One Day at a Time: Walker is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA (12 ER, 32.0 IP) in 7 day games this season compared to 8-2 with a 4.28 ERA (33 ER, 69.1 IP) in 12 starts at night. He has held opponents to a .191 AVG during the day compared to a .248 AVG under the lights.
- Summer Baby: Walker’s 2.71 ERA (57 ER, 189.1 IP) in the month of June is his lowest ERA in any month of his career (next, 3.65, April). It is the 4th-lowest mark of any active pitcher (min. 160.0 IP) for June, behind Clayton Kershaw (2.67), Chris Sale (2.55) and Jacob deGrom (2.40). His 1.50 ERA for June in 2023 was 6th-lowest among starters for the month, while he was the only ML pitcher to tally 5 wins. Walker is the 1st Phillies pitcher since Zach Eflin (5 in 2018) to record 5 wins in the month of June.
- Much Better: Walker has used his splitter 35.8% of the time in 2023, the highest rate of his career (previous: 27.6% in 2022) … 45 f his 88 strikeouts have come via the splitter and his 26.5 strikeout percentage and 27.7 whiff percentage with the pitch are the 10th- and 12th-best marks in the NL, respectively (min. 25 PA).
- vs NL Central: 7-7, 3.96 ERA (53 ER, 120.1 IP) in 22 starts.
HOME:
- 2023: 5-0, 2.30 ERA (11 ER, 43.0 IP) in 8 starts.
- Career: 29-21, 3.68 ERA (198 ER, 484.1 IP) in 88 games (86 starts).
- CBP: 6-1, 3.36 ERA (25 ER, 67.0 IP) in 13 starts.
2023 SEASON:
- Allowed 1 run or less in a career-high 5 straight starts from 6/6-29. Tossed consecutive scoreless starts of at least 5.0 IP on 6/6 and 6/11 for the 1st time in his career.
- Threw a career-high 14.0 scoreless innings from 6/6-16, surpassing 2 scoreless 13.0-inning stretches from 7/4-16/22 and 6/26-7/7/15 … Completed 8.0 innings on 6/16 for the 1st time since 4/27/17 vs SD while with ARI.
- On 5/21 vs CHI, Walker made his 1st career start on 3 days rest.
- Made his Phillies debut on 4/3 at NYY after signing a 4-year contract with the club in December.
- Pitched for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, making 1 start in Pool Play against Great Britain … He threw 4.0 scoreless IP with 2 baserunners allowed and recorded 8 of his 12 outs via strikeout.
